In Conversation With Chelan Douglas County Volunteer Attorney Services

COLUMN > PRO BONO ORGANIZATION OF THE MONTH

Q&A WITH CDCVAS CO-DIRECTORS ELOISE BARSHES AND MIREYA SANCHEZ

Q. Tell us a bit about the history of your organization. What is your organization’s philosophy? Why do you do what you do?

Chelan Douglas County Volunteer Attorney Services (CDCVAS) was founded in 2002 by members of the local bar who saw a growing need for civil legal help in our community. What started as a small, volunteer-driven effort has grown into a trusted legal aid organization serving hundreds of individuals and families each year across Chelan and Douglas counties.

Over time, we’ve evolved to meet the changing needs of our community. Demand for services continues to grow, and so has our approach. We’ve expanded clinics, built strong partnerships, increased bilingual access, and recently established a permanent legal aid home in the heart of Wenatchee. Along the way, we’ve stayed rooted in the same core idea that brought us here in the first place: When people have access to legal help, they have a better chance at stability, safety, and opportunity.

At our core, we are a community-driven organization. We rely on volunteer attorneys, partnerships, and the voices of those most impacted by legal barriers to guide our work. We do this because access to justice should not depend on income, and because a stronger, more stable community benefits us all.

Q. Where is your organization located? Do volunteers participate remotely, in person, or both?

CDCVAS is based in Wenatchee and serves both Chelan and Douglas counties. In 2025, we opened our permanent legal aid home at 900 Ferry St., a central and accessible location that allows us to better connect with the community and expand services. Our service area is large and mostly rural, which can make it difficult for people to travel long distances to access legal help.

Volunteers participate in both in-person and remote opportunities. Our walk-in and other legal clinics are primarily offered at our office, where volunteers meet in person with clients and work alongside staff and interpreters. At the same time, we build in flexibility by offering call backs, Zoom consultations, and other remote options so clients can access help in ways that work for them and volunteers can engage in ways that fit their schedules.

Q. Who does your organization serve?

CDCVAS serves individuals and families with low incomes in Chelan and Douglas counties, generally those at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. These are community members who would not otherwise be able to afford legal help and often have nowhere else to turn.

Many of the people we serve are facing urgent situations such as eviction, custody disputes, or overwhelming debt.

Our community is largely English- and Spanish-speaking, and we prioritize bilingual access to ensure people can get help in the language they are most comfortable using.

Q. What are the biggest barriers your clients face in accessing legal assistance?

The biggest barriers are cost, geography, and complexity. Our clients cannot afford an attorney, and in a large rural area like ours, getting to legal help is not always easy.

Language and trust can also be barriers, especially for Spanish-speaking community members or those who have had difficult experiences with the legal system.

On top of that, legal processes are often confusing and overwhelming. Without guidance, people do not know where to start.

There is also a gap in available services. Demand is high, and there are limited places to turn for civil legal help, especially a place where someone can walk in and get direction.

Q. What area(s) of law do you provide services in?

We help with a wide range of civil legal issues. Our capacity is largely based on our volunteers’ capacity and skills. Legal issues include:

• Family law, such as custody, divorce, and guardianship.
• Housing issues including eviction, landlord-tenant matters, and housing stability.
• Consumer and debt issues including collections, contracts, and bankruptcy.
• Wills and estates, including planning and end-of-life documents, and probate.
• Employment issues such as wage claims and workplace rights.
• Reentry and individual rights, including vacating records and civil rights matters.
• Public benefits and income support-direction and referrals.
• Other civil legal issues as they arise.

If we are not able to help, we do our best to provide referrals or connect people with other available resources.

Q. Does your organization provide training, CLE credit, or other benefits to volunteers?

Yes. We offer training and support to help volunteers feel prepared, along with opportunities for CLE credit when available.

We also believe recognition and connection matter. We regularly share volunteer hours served, celebrate contributions, and create opportunities for attorneys to connect with each other. CDCVAS is a neutral, welcoming space to collaborate, learn, and build relationships across the legal community.

Q. Please provide some examples of clients who were helped and how.

• A homeowner came to a walk-in clinic facing a sheriff’s sale over a small debt that had grown significantly with fees. A volunteer attorney stepped in, negotiated a reduced settlement, stopped the sale, and helped the client keep their home.
• A client was able to vacate their record with legal help. They can now move forward, apply for the police academy, and give back to their community.
• A client came in needing help with a vehicle title and repossession issue. With support from multiple volunteer attorneys, they secured ownership of their vehicles and resolved the matter before the end of the year.
• Residents in a manufactured home community faced a sharp rent increase that threatened their ability to stay in their homes. Through legal support, advocacy, and partnership with statewide organizations, the increase was reduced and improper charges were stopped, helping the residents remain housed.

Q. What does a typical weekly or monthly commitment look like for a volunteer? How many hours? How many clients?

Volunteer commitments are flexible and based on each attorney’s availability. Most volunteers participate for 1–4 hours at a time, anywhere from 1–12 times a year.

During a clinic, attorneys typically meet with clients for about an hour each and may see two to four clients per session. Each consultation is part of a larger strategy to help move the client forward.

Our legal case manager plays a key role, especially in family law cases, which make up about 45 percent of our work, by helping coordinate next steps and keep cases moving. Volunteers may step in to assist with specific parts of a case, and many clients work with multiple attorneys over time.

In non-family law matters, one or two consultations with the same attorney may be all that is needed. In areas like eviction or bankruptcy, a single attorney may take a case through to completion. Some matters are resolved in one consultation, while others take months or longer, depending on the situation, attorney availability, and client need.

Q. What do volunteers say they enjoy most about serving clients through your organization?

We strive to make the experience efficient, rewarding, productive, professional, and meaningful for both the volunteer and the clients. Many of our volunteers have shared that volunteering at CDCVAS is the most rewarding experience of their legal career because they are making a difference and serving with heart!

Q. What would you most want readers to know about the type of work your organization does and the type of people who need your services?

People deserve help and dignity. The legal issues we see are everyday challenges that can quickly become crises without support. The people we serve are working, caring for their families, and doing their best, but cannot afford an attorney.

Access to justice keeps people housed, working, and stable. It strengthens families and entire communities.

We all have a role to play. Whether through volunteering, supporting, or simply paying attention, there is an opportunity for each of us to be part of the solution and make sure no one has to face these challenges alone.

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